Entering the month of October, Dickinson’s Women’s Volleyball team is looking promising. As of Friday, October 3, the Red Devils had an overall record of 12-5, putting their winning percentage at around 70%. They are undefeated in every away match they have played and only lost one match on their home court at the Kline Center. Their other losses came from neutral settings like tri-matches and invitationals. 

Aside from the team’s collective success so far this fall, several players have made their mark on the court. Throughout the season, players including middle hitter Emery Fishbach ‘28, libero Katie Arcara ‘27, setter Lora Flynn ‘28 and libero Amanda Palo ‘29 have been featured on the volleyball Instagram account for impressive contributions to specific matches. Likewise, libero Avery Butcher ‘28 and middle hitter Eliette Whittaker ‘27 have been highlighted twice. 

The stand-out player thus far, though, is Mallie Thomas ’28, the Devils’ outside and right-side, being named Centennial Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week following her performances the week of September 15. The team won their matches against Susquehanna University, Mount Aloysius College and Catholic University that week. 

In the Susquehanna match on September 17, Thomas had one ace, eighteen kills, and eleven digs. Her hitting percentage that game was a strong .417%. The following Saturday against Mount Aloysius, she had another ace, as well as one block, twelve kills, and eleven digs. Against Catholic University, Thomas had 21 kills, making it her third game of the season with over 20 kills. She also had fifteen digs in that matchup.

When asked about her reaction to receiving this recognition, Thomas humbly claimed that “this was a big honor. I didn’t receive anything like this last year, so this tells me that I’m headed in the right direction.” Although Thomas had success in her first season as a Red Devil, it’s clear she put in the work both on and off the court during the offseason. She spends “every day trying to get better and improve.” Her main key to success is playing both “with and for the team.”

Thomas described how important the bond between her and her teammates is to the team culture. “The vibes this year are great,” Thomas said. “We’ve been going to five sets in our matches against strong teams, and so there’s a lot of excitement and great energy.” 

One moment that stood out to Thomas so far was Dickinson’s match against Salsbury University on Friday, September 26. Although the Red Devils ultimately lost the match, they played a highly competitive five set game that has set the tone since. According to Thomas, the game strengthened the bond between the girls and proved to them that they’re more than capable of taking on difficult opponents if they work together.

“We have lots of momentum right now,” commented Thomas on the overall season. The main goal of the team is to make it to conference playoffs, which Thomas is confident the team can do. “Last year, we fell one game short of making playoffs,” explained Thomas. “This year, we’re older, more experienced and we want it.” 

If the Red Devil’s success continues, they could potentially start the first round of playoffs the second week of November. As they progress through the season, the team will keep working diligently in practice to acheive their goals.